Louise Thompson Opens Up on Grief Over Not Being Able to Carry Another Baby as She Plans Surrogacy Journey
Louise Thompson has spoken candidly about the emotional pain of knowing she may never carry another child, as she and fiancé Ryan Libbey explore surrogacy in the hope of expanding their family.
The former Made in Chelsea star, 35, said she feels as though she is “grieving” the pregnancy experience she is unlikely to have again, following the traumatic birth of her son Leo.
Louise nearly died while giving birth to Leo, now four, after undergoing an emergency Caesarean section. She lost three and a half litres of blood during the delivery, with doctors later discovering that a tear in her womb had caused the severe bleeding.
Medical staff operated for three hours to stop the haemorrhage while Louise remained conscious and without a general anaesthetic. The ordeal left her with post-traumatic stress disorder and postnatal anxiety. She has since also been diagnosed with lupus and Asherman’s syndrome, suffered a second haemorrhage, and undergone surgery to have a stoma bag fitted.
Now, as she looks to the future, Louise has revealed that she and Ryan are considering a surrogacy route that could cost more than £50,000, including IVF treatment.
Writing openly about the decision, Louise described surrogacy as “a miracle”, but admitted it also comes with a separate kind of heartbreak. She said the possibility of having another baby without carrying the child herself has forced her to confront the loss of experiences many expectant mothers take for granted.
She reflected on never again feeling a baby kick inside her, watching her bump grow, seeing a heartbeat on a scan within her own body, or having strangers congratulate her in public. While she acknowledged that a baby may still arrive through embryo transfer and surrogacy, she said the path felt both extraordinary and painfully different from the version of motherhood she once imagined.
Louise also said she wanted to speak out because she suspected other women may be living with similar quiet grief. She wrote that it is possible to feel genuine happiness for others while also mourning one’s own circumstances, adding that the two emotions do not cancel each other out.
Her comments come as she continues to advocate for better maternity care and greater awareness of birth trauma. Since her near-fatal experience, Louise has frequently shared honest updates about her physical and mental recovery, as well as her journey with inflammatory bowel disease and life with a stoma.
Despite the difficulty of the road ahead, Louise stressed that choosing a different route to parenthood, whether through surrogacy, adoption or fostering, should not be seen as a consolation prize. However, she also said people are allowed to grieve the path they did not get to experience.
For Louise, the next chapter remains uncertain, but her message was one of honesty and hope. She reminded others facing similar pain that they do not have to pretend to be fine, and that it is possible to feel loss while still holding on to hope.
